Rim and tire for vehicle-wheels.



J. A. COOPER.

RIM AND TIRE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED IBB. 9, 1911.

Y I l//NVENTOR WIT/VES E5 Y. f u 6 .7M cape/j NETE@ STATES PATENT FFTQE.

l JAMES A. COOPER, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 D.W.

HUGHES, OF CHATTANOOG-A, TENNESSEE.

RIlVI AND TXRE FOR VEHICLE-WHEELS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES A. COOPER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county ofHamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented newr and usefulImprovements in Rims and Tires for Vehicle-lheels, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to rims and tires for vehicle wheels designed assubstitutes for pneumatic tires.

The advantages for pneumatic tires are well kno-wn, but it isquestionable whether these advantages are not overcome by theirdisadvantages. The original cost of such tires is heavy and the expenseof replacing pneumatic tires, or repairing them, is almost prohibitivefor ordinary purposes, so that the use of motor vehicles is thereby verymuch limited. Besides this matter of expense, the puncture or collapseof such tires at most inopportune times and places, causes veXation,delays and disappointments, and necessitates irksome precautions such ascarrying repairing tools and materials and ext-ra t-ires. For thesereasons many journeys are abandoned, or made over circuitous routes, toavoid roads, however direct, which are rough or rocky, thus occasioningmuch loss of time and money.

The object of this invention is to provide a rim for vehicle wheels as asubstitute for such pneumatic tired wheels, which will, by reason of theabsence of all liability of puncture and collapse, and the presence ofall the resiliency necessary to absorb the varying strains due todriving, braking and turning, overcome all of the disadvantages of thepneumatic tires.

lith this object in view, the invention consists in the improvedcombined rim and tire for vehicle wheels which will be hereinafter fullydescribed, the particular points of novelty of which, will bespecifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In order that my invention may be readily understood, T will now proceedto fully describe its construction and operation in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1, represents, in side elevation,a portion of the rim and tire of a wheel, constructed in accordance withmy invention, the near side flange being removed. Fig. 2, represents atransverse sectional view of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9, 1911.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

serial No. 607,684.

the same on the plane indicated by the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Figs.3 and 4, represent views in elevation of the lugs to be secured to theends of the springs, and Fig. 5, represents a view in elevation of amodified arrangement of the springs.

Like reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figuresof the drawing.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 10 indicates the usual felly, 11an inner metallic rim around the felly, 12 the outer rim around at adistance from the inner rim 11, and 18 an ordinary solid rubber tirearound the outer rim and strengthened by steel wire 14, molded into it.

On each side of the felly and the outer and inner rims, is an annularinclosing and clamping plate, as at 15, 16, which, with the two rims,form an annular chamber rectangular in outline on radial planes in whichall of the working parts hereinafter to be described are inclosed andprotected from dirt, water, mud, etc. At the outer edge of each sideplate is an inwardly turned edge, as at 17, to engage over a pair ofoutwardly projecting flanges 18, of the tire B, to assist in holding thetire in position on the outer rim. The side plates are secured in placeby bolts 19, passing through them near the outer rim 12.

At suitable distances apart, forked lugs 20, 21, 22, 23, Fig. 1, aresecured to the outside of the inner rim, and radially in line with suchlugs, forked lugs 24, 25, 26, 27, are secured to the inside of the outerrim, the inner portion of each of the lugs 20 to 23, and the outerportion of the lugs 211 to 27, being forked as at 28 and 29,respectively. There are as many pairs of these lugs 2O to 27, as may benecessary, the number varying as the need of greater or less resiliencyis required, as will be readily understood by the description to followherein. Lugs 22 and 26 being to the right of the section line 2-2 ofFig. 1, they are illustrated in Fig. 2, and inasmuch as all of the lugs20 to 27 are of the same shape, the separate illustration of the lugs 22and 26 in Fig. 2 will` be sufficient for an illustration of all.

It will be observed that each of the lugs comprise a main body andforked ends, the forked ends 28, of the lugs 2O to 23, projectingoutward, and the forked ends 29 of lugs 24 to 27, inward, all of theforked ends lying in planes parallel with the side plates 15 and 16, sothat the spaces between the forked ends of each lug are also parallelwith said plates.

In Fig. 3, there is illustrated a head or end piece for a purposehereinafter eX- plained. There are as many of these heads as there arelugs 20 to 27, and twice as many as there are springs hereinafter named,there being three pairs or complete sets of such springs illustrated inFig. 1, marked respectively 30 and 31 to left, and 32 and 33 to theright. Each of the heads or end pieces shown at 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39,40, 41, Fig. 1, is composed of a main body, as at 42, in Fig. 4, and asingle central flange as at 43, the main body of each head being adaptedto receive one end of one of the springs 30 to 33. Each of the centralflanges 43, are adapted to engage between the forked ends of one lug oft-he inner rim or one lug of the outer rim, Fig. 2, showing the iiange43, of head 38, between the forked ends 28 of lug 22, of the inner rim,and the flange 43 of head 40 between the forked ends 29 of lug 26 of theouter rim. The lug 22, of the inner rim is in the same .plane as the lug27 of the outer rim and the head 39 supports and carries one end of thespring 32 whose other end is carried on head 38, the flange 43, of head38 being pivotally secured by a pin or bolt 44, between the forks of lug22, and the flange of head 39 by a pin or bolt 45, between the forks oflug 27. Each complete set, comprising a spring and two heads ispivotally connected to one lug of the inner rim and the adjacent lug ofthe outer ring and the stress of each spring is therefore in a line atan inclination toa tangential line drawn on either the inner or outerrim at a point on a radial line passing transversely through themidlength of the spring. These springs are the only connections betweenthe inner and outer rims and the tendency of each spring is to draw theouter rim inward and toward the lug of the inner rim to which the innerend of the spring is attached, and as will be seen by inspection of Fig.1, and each spring being crossed by another, and connecting lugs atdifferent radial points on the two rims, the two rims will be heldnormally yieldingly at regular distances apart with a spring to resistand cushion every strain which can be put upon the wheel. All of thelugs are rectangular in outline on radial planes and each lug of theinner rim overlaps the lug of the outer rim in radial alinement with it,as seen in Fig. 2, in which the lug 22 of the inner rim is shownoverlapping the lug 26, of the outer rim, these lugs snugly fitting thespace between the side plates 15 and 16 and being so placed and securedin position that their free sliding movement upon, or with relation toeach other, will not be impeded. The bolts 19 being near the outer rim,they will cause the side plates 15 and 16 to tightly clamp the outer rimbut it will not cause said plates to clamp the felly and inner rim sotightly as to prevent their free sliding between said plates whennecessary.

It will be observed, that the felly 10, is of the usual and ordinaryconstruction, and that the inner rim 11 takes the place of the usualmetal tire and it will be at once obvious that my Ycomplete constructionas hereinbefore described, can be applied to any of the ordinary wheelsnow in use. by merely removing the ordinary metal tire and securing mystructure on the felly in place thereof.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a modied form of springs and end pieces orlugs, a reinforcing spring 45 being inserted inside of the spring 46,the latter being of the same construction as those before described.

l/Vhile I have specifically described the construction of each partcomprised in the herein illustrated embodiment, I desire to emphasizethe face that slight changes and variations may be made in suchconstructions without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

A resilient wheel comprising an inner rim, an outer rim, an elastictire, a felly, annular side plates and bolts passed through said platesnear the outer rim clamping them together and inclosing a space betweenthe two rims and said side plates, the inner rim being slidable betweenthe plates, a series of lugs rectangular in outline in radial planessecured to the inner rim, projecting radially into said rectangularspace and slidable therein, a similar series of the same number of lugsprojecting radially from the outer rim into said rectangular space, theindividual lugs of each of the two series overlapping those of the otherseries and being in the same radial plane therewith, and springsconnecting each lug of each series with the next adjacent lugs of theother series in both directions, the overlapping pairs of lugssnugly'fitt-ing the rectangular space and being slidable with relationto each other.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

JAMES A. COOPER.

Witnesses:

OLIVER P. MORGAN, R.' B. GRAFTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

